Entering a new house signifies an incredible beginning in your life and each one of us would want to start on a happy note with positive energy. To have a great start in the new abode people all around the world believe in aplenty housewarming rituals that are purported to bring good luck to the home. From lighting candles your first night at home and burning sage to boiling milk and prepping meals, there is no end to the list of rituals people have used to break in their new digs.
In India moving into a new home is considered only second in ceremonial importance to that of a wedding, and many acts are performed to bless the home and ward off evil spirits. You may be familiar with some of the much-believed-rituals but some might surprise you.
We’ve master-crafted a list of the most essential prerequisites of an auspicious move to your new home.
Pick an auspicious date and time
The first thing that you need to do is ask a learned priest to pick out the best suitable date and time to perform the most important rituals before you set foot inside your new house. It is believed that the time when the ceremony is performed is extremely crucial to get the best out of the ritual and to ward off evil spirits.
Perform Vastu Puja (Architectural worship)
According to Vastu Shastra ‘Science of architecture,’ a house has to be constructed following some specific principles to integrate architecture with nature otherwise it might be a magnet to evil forces. To eliminate any fault the house might have incurred due to flaws in the design and construction, the family is recommended to perform a fire ritual on the threshold of the new home as fire embodies warm feelings and spiritual guidance.
Right is right
We’ve been prejudiced for centuries that anything in the right side is always correct and have bias opinion to something on the left. Possibly derived from this perception the Indian custom states, the first footstep inside the house ought to be your right foot for a good omen.
Perform Griha Pravesh Puja (First entry into the house ceremony)
It is important to perform a traditional Vedic Griha Pravesh Puja to ensure everything goes well and to sanctify the home from any inauspiciousness. For this ceremony, a shrine room is prepared with a picture of a deity and a small oil lamp in the north-east direction of the house. Griha Pravesh is usually centred on Lord Ganesh (the elephant-headed god), who is regarded as the protector of mankind and the one who bestows good fortune and riches to a family.
Boiling milk
The ritual that follows the Griha Pravesh ceremony is boiling milk until it spills over the rim of a new open-pot. This symbolizes the abundance of prosperity and food which will bless the house. A glass of that milk is then offered to God and the rest of it is served to the family members. This gesture signifies that both joys and sorrows are to be shared amongst the family member.
Precautionary measure to ward off negative forces
Fresh chilies and limes are threaded together on the front doorway to protect the home and family off any undesirable intentions or ‘evil eye’ that may be brought to the house by visitors or strangers.
These rituals help make your home a haven. After all:
“Home is where love resides,
where memories are created.
friends are always welcome
and laughter never ends.”
